Praxair, through a subsidiary, has expanded its presence in China, signing a long-term contract to supply industrial gases to Nanjing Jinling Huntsman New Materials, a joint venture between SINOPEC Jinling and Huntsman.

Jinling Huntsman will use the gases to help build a propylene oxide and methyl tertiary butyl ether plant in Nanjing, China. Propylene oxide is a compound used to make polyurethane materials, and methyl tertiary butyl ether is a clean fuel additive.

Praxair will erect the air-separation unit, with a capacity of 900 tons per day of oxygen, in Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, a state-level interconnected chemical production facility. Praxair will also build a pipeline in the park to help meet the industrial gas requirements of Jinling Huntsman and other customers throughout the park. The air separation is expected to start up in 2016.

"The air separation plant that we will build will establish Praxair as the first industrial gases pipeline supplier in NCIP, with great potential to supply more customers in the new phase of this top-notch chemical park," Dr. Minda Ho, president of Praxair China, said in a statement.

Praxair, which has done business in China more than 20 years, has a strong track record of developing industrial gases supply networks in leading chemical industrial parks such as Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, Huizhou Daya Bay Chemical Industrial Park and Yangzhou Chemical Industry Park, according to Ho.

Praxair, a Fortune 250 company based in Danbury, had 2013 sales of $12 billion, and China accounted for about 5 percent of that figure.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings.

"We expect Asia to remain solid with about 15 percent growth in China -- half due to new projects," he wrote in a report.

Alexander, who has a "buy" rating on Praxair's stock, said the company's projections for India, South America and the European Union appear to be on track, and the Mexico and United States markets are showing signs of growth.

The company's Canada market is struggling, he said.

China has an appetite for services as it continues to grow its industrial base, said attorney Paul Jacobs, a partner in the Stamford office of Fox Rothschild and president of the Connecticut China Council.

"It's a great source of sales for U.S. companies. We're in our fifth year of President Obama's export initiative. It's a great way to increase profits for U.S. companies," he said. "China is in a slowdown, but I think it's a healthy slowdown. They're projecting 7 to 7 1/2 percent growth. We'd love to have that in the U.S."

The company's shares slipped $1.88, or 1.4 percent, to $131.67 in New York on Thursday.